


Ocean of Light

by Sphenimersus



Series: my eyes are blind but my heart sees clearly [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blind Monkey D. Luffy, Canon Divergence, Disability, Gen, Observation Haki (One Piece), POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:40:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 14,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29420262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sphenimersus/pseuds/Sphenimersus
Summary: In which Luffy is blind, but it doesn't change most of his journey.Small snippets of the people who somehow got involved after Luffy became blind.Small snippets of how these small meetings eventually change big events.
Series: my eyes are blind but my heart sees clearly [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2161254
Comments: 141
Kudos: 188





	1. Monkey D. Garp I

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Fade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3067547) by [authenticaussie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/authenticaussie/pseuds/authenticaussie). 



> I recommend reading the work this is inspired by before diving into this fic! It'll give more background/context on how Luffy became blind. This work is basically an au/aftermath fic of how things might happen due to these circumstances.
> 
> This was supposed to be a serious AU with blind!luffy, but well, it kinda became a bit self-indulgent with some of my favorite characters. Also because I’m a huge sucker for canon divergence. :)
> 
> The POV followed in the chapters are stated in the chapter title. Chapter titles with a location follow Luffy's POV.
> 
> Length of each chapter varies anywhere between 200 to 2,000 words.
> 
> Everything that isn't written is pretty much how canon events happen.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Dadan the Bandit called with bad news, Monkey D. Garp added another reason to his list of why he hated pirates.

When Dadan the Bandit called with bad news, Monkey D. Garp added another reason to his list of why he hated pirates. Some stinking small time pirates who thought they were big shots made his grandson _blind_. Garp was absolutely livid and could only find comfort in the fact that the pirates were burned alive in Gray Terminal. Though Garp would have preferred to mutilate them with his bare hands.

His first thought when he received the news, however, was worry for his stupid grandson. The idiot hid the fact he was losing his sight until it was completely gone. If they had known earlier, they might have been able to save some of his sight.

His second thought was about how he could no longer try to pull his grandson into joining the marines. Well, if Garp was completely honest, he didn't want to force his biological grandson to join the marines anymore. If Luffy was going to live without the ability to see the wonders of the world, then Garp would make _damn sure_ that he would at the very least live in happiness. And if that meant letting his grandson be a pirate, then so be it. He could still annoy Ace into becoming a marine. One was better than none after all.

(Another part of him would prefer if his grandson didn't do anything and simply stayed on Dawn because it would be safer for his boy, but Garp knew that trouble would find Luffy even if he stayed put.)

His third thought was to find someone to properly teach Luffy and Ace some stuff about Haki. Observation Haki, specifically. Garp thought long and hard on the matter before deciding that he would only let the very best teach his grandsons. If the very best just so happened to be a pirate, well, Garp worked with criminals before. He was certain that everything would turn out okay!

So with that thought in mind, Garp took a few months vacation and left Marineford. He rampaged a bit in the New World and then returned to Dawn Island with his grandsons' teacher in tow.


	2. Charlotte Katakuri I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quite frankly, despite his ability of future sight with the use of Haki, Charlotte Katakuri would never be fully prepared for what any member of the _D_ family did.

Quite frankly, despite his ability of future sight with the use of Haki, Charlotte Katakuri would never be fully prepared for what any member of the _D_ family did. Right now, he was certain that nothing could top the surprise Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp gave.

It was just another day of inspection, and Katakuri was returning to his home. He had received a brief call from his terribly irritated mother, but she had simply told him that she could finally return a favor. That person who held the favor over his mother was currently sitting in his home.

His Haki warned him of who the visitor was, but it didn't make him any less surprised. Katakuri was certain that there was nothing in the world that would have prepared him to be greeted by the sight of Garp the Fist sitting in his home, snacking away on rice crackers.

With a silent sigh, Katakuri took his own seat and waited for the man to speak. Regardless of what Garp asked, he would have to agree to it because of the life debt the entire Charlotte family owed to the man. Katakuri was aware of how Mama hated to think, much less talk, of that time, but he knew that if Garp had not let his mother go after the fight with the Rocks Pirates nearly three decades ago, then the Charlotte Family wouldn't have survived the attacks of their enemies.

A vision, prediction, entered his mind through his Observation Haki. He blinked in surprise and didn't, couldn't, think of a reply until the man himself actually said it aloud.

"You're gonna train my grandsons for at least a year," Garp said.

"Now?"

"Yup, pack your bags, and we'll get going to East Blue."

Katakuri had only met two _Ds_ in his life, and everything they did was unexpected. Meeting and knowing Gol D. Roger's insanity was what inspired Katakuri to train his Observation Haki to the pinnacle of power, but meeting Monkey D. Garp taught him that his predictions wouldn't always prepare him for whatever insanity a _D_ would do.


	3. Charlotte Katakuri II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting two _D_ boys wasn't out of Katakuri's expectations. Learning that they were only eleven and eight years old wasn't entirely unexpected either, but it still made him question Garp's sanity. _Why does he want me to teach these little brats?_

Meeting two _D_ boys wasn't out of Katakuri's expectations. Learning that they were only eleven and eight years old wasn't entirely unexpected either, but it still made him question Garp's sanity. _Why does he want me to teach these little brats?_ Still, he didn't need to know the details, so he suppressed the shock and curiosity in him.

Meeting Portgas D. Ace, on the other hand, made him glance at Garp in surprise. Katakuri recognized the hair and the eyes. The protective stance he held while he put his little brother behind him. ( _The freckles_ , he had pondered, _were likely from his mother._ ) In any case, Katakuri was certain this was the rumoured child of Gol D. Roger that the Marines were searching for when they had massacred several islands a dozen or so years ago.

Then, Garp left after (lightly) hitting the two children's heads with Haki-infused fists. He was gone after a short shouting match with the two little _Ds_ , and he ended the argument by telling them that he expected Ace to become a fine marine.

And honestly? Katakuri had long since given up on questioning Garp's logic, but exactly _how_ did the Vice Admiral expect the son of the Pirate King to become a marine officer? And more importantly, he had let bandits raise the boy, and now, he was letting a notorious pirate train him. Well, Katakuri supposed he wouldn't actually know any child-raising techniques, so maybe he wasn't the best judge for the situation. In any case, it would be interesting to be involved with two children who would most likely shift the world's balance. He didn't need his Haki to know that because it was simply what people with the _D_ in their names do.

_(How a single letter in a name could dictate that Universal Law, Katakuri had no idea, but he was interested in how his influence would change their paths.)_


	4. Charlotte Katakuri III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katakuri was a firm believer that a child should not bear the sins of their parents.

It didn't take long for Katakuri to find out why Garp wanted him to teach his two grandsons Observation Haki. The little one, Monkey D. Luffy, was blind. Lost his sight to some small time pirates throwing their weight around in East Blue.

Portgas, on the other hand, didn't _need_ to learn per se, but the little one refused to stray too far from Portgas. And well, Katakuri supposed that it wouldn't hurt for both of them to learn Observation Haki at a young age. And maybe, just _maybe_ , he wanted to teach the Pirate King's son so that he'd be more ready to face the world.

Katakuri was a firm believer that a child should not bear the sins of their parents. After all, he had first hand experience with people hunting him because of what Mama had done. And well, he hoped that his teachings would make it easier for the young boy to survive. Even if it was only a little bit.

So Katakuri stayed on the backwater island in East Blue to teach the two young boys the basics of Haki. He also ended up giving them some fighting and self-defense tips after seeing the two naturally draw in chaos.

(Luffy in particular just seemed to obliviously waltz right into the middle of trouble. At least Ace had _some_ sense on what places to avoid. Katakuri had half the mind to think that it might be because the younger was blind, but a small voice in the back of his head told him it was simply a _Monkey D._ thing. Of course everything would circle back to the _D_ name.)

__

One of the moments Katakuri had to deal with, barely a week since he met them, was Luffy drowning. Thankfully, Ace had reacted quickly; like it was just another everyday occurrence. It was also when Katakuri found that the boy had consumed a Devil Fruit.

__

"Shishishi, I'm a rubber man!" Luffy grinned while stretching his cheeks farther than what was humanly possible.

__

_A strange Devil Fruit,_ Katakuri duly noted. It was similar to his own, so he took it as another responsibility of his to teach, or at least give tips on, how the boy could use his Devil Fruit. He also started to speed up the training on Observation Haki, forcefully awakening the power. He hoped that having Haki would minimize the trouble Luffy seemed to accidentally find. After all, Katakuri did _not_ want to deal with an angry marine grandfather if Luffy happened to die because he couldn't see where he was stepping.

__

It didn't take him long to realize that Luffy was used to such trouble. Apparently, he trusted Ace to fish him out from a gator's stomach. The practiced ease that Ace had, much like when he had saved the boy from drowning, made it clear that Luffy, even with sight, would have found himself in countless life threatening situations.

__

Katakuri found that training the two brats wasn't going to be as easy as he had anticipated. Not that he had expected it to be easy, especially considering they were both _D_ brats.

__

Well, it wasn't like he had a choice anymore. He had to return the life debt the Charlotte family owed to Garp, and training two helpless brats was truly one of the least resource consuming repayments the Charlotte Family had ever done.

__

Katakuri sighed. Honestly, he was relieved to find that the two were also good kids. Somewhat independent and self-sufficient. Maybe a bit wild, jumping around the forest with ease. They were much better compared to some of his spoiled siblings back home. What made teaching them even more enjoyable was that they were talented. A month into the training, and both boys finally awakened their Observation Haki.

__

Luffy seemed to take up the task like a fish in water. He was naturally sensitive to people's presences. Or maybe, judging from the twitch of his nose and ears, he simply had great senses. The most fascinating part, however, was how he would sometimes unconsciously use Color Observation Haki.

__

Meanwhile, Ace struggled a bit, which was reasonable for a child who still had working eyes. The freckled boy did eventually figure it out and started using it effectively to hunt the animals on Mt. Colubo.

__

It was progress, which satisfied the Charlotte commander. While Katakuri was strict with the boys, he didn't have any unreasonable expectations. It was good enough that they could sense people and their intentions.

__

During the year he stayed on Dawn Island, Katakuri watched the brothers' daily spars, somehow got dragged into being a pillow for them _("Mochi is soft and comfy!" Luffy had said excitedly.)_ , and became an unofficial big brother (which he reluctantly accepted because the two reminded him of his own siblings).

__

Katakuri hadn't received any urgent calls from his family, only getting a call from Mama and Brulee who just wanted to check on him and ask when he would return. It was a relief to know that his family hadn't been in any immediate danger. Still, he was feeling homesick, but thankfully, the one year contract he had with Garp was ending.

__

The night before Katakuri had to leave, the three laid down in his mochi house, getting ready to sleep. Luffy and Ace stayed as close to him as possible. Well, more like Luffy refused to unwind his arms from around his chest. Ace was also on top of his chest, but his eyes were focused on the younger child. (It was one of the few things Katakuri reprimanded the older child for doing, but old habits die hard. And he figured it was okay because Ace did have a decent grasp over his Observation Haki.)

__

Katakuri, of course, could have gotten rid of them easily, but he let them do what they wanted. After all, he probably wouldn't see them again.

__

"Big Brother Kuri, do you have to leave?" Luffy's large eyes looked up, wide and sad. Truly, the silver, sightless eyes should have no business in showing so much emotion. A weaker man would have given in to the silent plea to stay, but Katakuri had several younger siblings with similar puppy eyes. Ace had shifted to tug on his sleeves but pretended to remain indifferent.

__

With a sigh, the eldest of the three replied quietly, "I have to return to my family." He understood the importance of family to the two, so he knew they would understand his dilemma. After "seeing" their disappointment in one of his future visions, he reluctantly added, "I'm also a dangerous pirate."

__

Against all expectations, the two looked up at him with excitement. Honestly, he had expected them to be more scared, considering Luffy had lost his sight to a pirate. But no, they were excited, and Luffy demanded to hear stories of his adventures. Ace was eager to hear some stories too, but he hid it well - for a child at least.

__

Katakuri, too caught up in his surprise, asked blankly, "I thought you two hated pirates?"

__

"What?!" Both shouted in unison, which really made one wonder how they weren't blood related.

__

"Pirates are _cool_ ," Luffy had finally released his hold around Katakuri's chest. His arms flailed wildly above them as if to explain how amazing pirates were. "Shanks saved my life after I ate the Gomu Gomu no Mi!"

__

"Shanks?" Okay, that certainly was not a name Katakuri had expected to hear from a child's mouth.

__

"Yeah! He left the Gomu Gomu no Mi on Makino's counter, so I ate it because I thought it was dessert. Then some stupid mountain bandits came and almost killed me. Shanks, Benn, and Lucky Roux were _super cool_ , but then the bandit went out to sea, got eaten by the Lord of the Coast, and Shanks saved me! H-he lost his arm too," Luffy frowned but quickly continued after his hands stopped to hold his straw hat proudly. "I promised him that when I become a great pirate, I'll give his hat back! I'm gonna be the Pirate King!"

__

Katakuri raised an eyebrow in surprise. Perhaps he should be more concerned for a blind child chasing after a dream that hadn't been achieved by anyone in the last twelve years. Perhaps he should defend Mama's honor because she wanted to become Pirate King. And yet, the conviction in this child's voice somehow made Katakuri believe that there would be no other outcome. Monkey D. Luffy would become the Pirate King.

__

In any case, he unexpectedly found some interesting information regarding the newest Emperor. Two years ago, Red Haired Shanks (who had not yet been an Emperor at the time) returned to the New World with a missing arm after being inactive for a year. Rumors of an unknown strong individual had spread throughout the New World, and those with wider information networks had become cautious of a hidden tiger in the weakest blues. And yet, to think that it was merely a sea king, not even half the size of the sea kings that nested in the Calm Belt. To think that one of the strongest pirates currently alive lost his arm to protect a child from a tiny sea king. ( _Fascinating._ He would have to find the Emperor and speak to him about Luffy.)

__

Katakuri put the revelation aside and looked at Ace. A silent question on why the Pirate King's child wanted to be a pirate. Katakuri had long since figured out the hate the boy felt for his biological father, so why would he become what his father used to be?

__

Ace quietly answered with narrowed eyes, "I just want to be recognized for me. I want people to see me as Portgas D. Ace. Plus," his lips twisted in disgust, "I'm not going to work for the people who killed our other brother."

__

Finding out that they had a third brother was certainly a surprise, but Katakuri didn't ask. He merely nodded, not quite in understanding but more of a reassuring gesture, "Then grow up and maybe one day we'll meet up at sea." The sea was wide and vast, and people often never met again. Still, Katakuri couldn't bring himself to say he'd never see them again. And perhaps, as _Ds_ who constantly shattered people's common sense, perhaps they would meet again several years into the future.

__

The two children seemed satisfied with the answer and plopped down to sleep. He would probably have to pull them off him tomorrow when he set sail to return to Mama, but for now, he would spoil them while he still had the chance. He wouldn't be able to take care of such precious and vulnerable children when he was with his biological siblings.

__

_(After returning to Whole Cake Island, Katakuri would occasionally wonder how and why he had developed such a soft spot for Portgas D. Ace and Monkey D. Luffy. Perhaps it was the deeply concealed loneliness within their eyes that reminded him of his childhood when Mama had left to wage war. Perhaps it was the strong dependency and protective relationship the two brothers had that reminded him of his own family. In any case, Katakuri looked forward to whatever storm they would bring forth when they set sail.)_

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In canon, Shanks became an Emperor four years after meeting Luffy. For the purpose of this fic, Shanks had been active in the New World prior to meeting Luffy and officially became an Emperor after fighting against Kaido at even grounds a year after losing his arm.


	5. Interlude: Charlotte Katakuri and Shanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting up with Red Haired Shanks before returning to Whole Cake Island was definitely not within Katakuri's expectations.

Meeting up with Red Haired Shanks before returning to Whole Cake Island was definitely not within Katakuri's expectations. He had simply stopped by a small town in Paradise when drunken laughter resounded behind him. His future vision informed him of who it was. He found a bench to sit on before sighing. He didn't bother waiting for the other redhead pirate to greet him.

"Akagami."

"Dahahaha, that dude looks like Charlotte Katakuri!"

"Captain, it _is_ Katakuri." Ah yes, possibly the only voice of reason in the Red Hair Pirates. For the many crews who sailed the Grand Line, Benn Beckman was certainly the favorite member of the Red Hair Pirates. Akagami was simply a difficult man to deal with.

"I am returning from a mission in East Blue."

"Huh? What would that big shot billion beri commander be doing here in Paradise?"

He didn't give a response to the next vision and merely stared, deadpan, at the Emperor.

"Holy shit! It really is him with his creepy future sight thingy," Shanks exclaimed. He surprisingly appeared to be sober now, but the man would never disappoint his unofficial title as the Party Emperor (a title that both pirates and marines alike agreed was… _childish_ and inappropriate for a pirate as strong as Shanks). "Great! Let's party!"

Katakuri sighed. He wanted to sink deeper into the bench and ignore the Emperor, but there really wasn't much he could do. Instead, he said, "A little monkey in East Blue told me that your arm was eaten by a baby sea king."

Okay, maybe that wasn't the best thing to say but out of all the visions he had seen, this result was the most civil. Oddly so. Katakuri felt a wave of Haki pressing down on him. He watched as Benn Beckman pointed his rifle at him. Katakuri was certain that the gun was loaded with seastone bullets.

_(That reminded him of why Beckman was among the least favorite Red Hair Pirate for most Devil Fruit users. People had long since learned about the endless patience the Red Hair's first mate had. He seemed to have a limitless supply of seastone bullets, which meant he often used his time to slowly whittle down seastone to fit his rifle.)_

"Garp invited me to stay for a year to teach his grandsons Haki."

"What did you do?"

The heavy pressure was lifted off his shoulders, but Beckman didn't drop his rifle. Katakuri calmly explained, answering the questions he could hear with his future sight. "A small time pirate beat up Luffy to the point he became blind. I was brought over to be his teacher."

"Why?"

"No," Katakuri denied.

"You and Anchor became friends?"

"Yes." _Ah_ , the Charlotte commander thought briefly. _That sounded like the answer to the question just now._ He sighed. Akagami truly was a hard man to deal with. Well, at least the assumed affirmation had made Beckman lower his rifle.

"Dahahaha, I knew Anchor could charm everyone he meets! That kid got some spunk. Wait, Luffy is _blind_?!"

"According to his brother, he was beaten by spiked gloves, threatened by a sword, and nearly burned to death."

"Wha- _How?"_

"This was about a month before Garp dragged me over to Dawn Island, so a little over a year ago."

"When?"

Katakuri waited for the pirate captain to process the information. "He was doing well when I left."

"How is he?"

"Yes. He and his brother are talented and hard workers. They made good progress over the year. And he is nine years old. His brother is now twelve."

"That's good. So, Observation Haki, huh? The kid is what? Seven, eight years old?"

"I don't know the whole story, but I believe Garp made Luffy live with Ace and some mountain bandits after you left."

"Anchor has a brother?! He was the only kid back in Foosha."

Katakuri chose to remain silent and stood up, fully intending to escape.

Shanks grinned and quickly grabbed onto the Charlotte commander's arm. He took another swig of his sake, "Dahahaha! Benn, go tell everyone we're having a party! We need to celebrate finding Katakuri and Anchor's friendship!"

The taller redhead sighed while watching Beckman shake his head.

"We gotta thank Charlotte for bringing news of Anchor to us," Shanks sang drunkenly while half dancing toward the beach. "Dahaha, little Anchor has learned Haki. I _knew_ he would be a force to reckon with."

* * *

After Katakuri left, Shanks crawled over to Benn complaining about his hangover. He moaned in pain when Benn suddenly asked:

"Captain, how is Luffy gonna set sail if he's blind? Observation Haki doesn't help with navigation."

Shanks shot up at the question and winced, "Shit."

"Do you think he'll set sail with his brother?"

Shanks blinked twice and tried to remember what Katakuri had told him about this mysterious Ace. He also remembered that the boy was a _D_. " _Fuck_ ," he replied gracelessly. " _Ds_ don't sail under the same flags. Oh, fuck, those three stupid _Ds_ probably didn't even think about that."

Benn blinked at him, "So, does that mean he'll just drift at sea once he sets sail?"

"Maybe Katakuri had a plan for that?" Shanks said hopefully.

"I think he was also under the impression that the two brothers would set sail together."

 _"Fucking_ _Ds."_


	6. Coby I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Of all the things Coby expected to see after two years of slaving away on Alvida’s ship, it most certainly was not a teenager - maybe a few years older than himself - with sunglasses and a straw hat.

Of all the things Coby expected to see after two years of slaving away on Alvida’s ship, it most certainly was not a teenager - maybe a few years older than himself - with sunglasses and a straw hat. The teen’s red vest was buttoned up, and he wore blue shorts with white fluff at the bottom. His sandals and sunglasses made it seem as though he was on vacation.

If Coby hadn’t seen the man popping out of a barrel, the pink-haired boy would have thought the man really was on vacation. But no, the teen was not on vacation and had apparently been sleeping in said barrel.

"Ahhhh, that was a nice nap!" The raven-haired boy stretched. He tilted his head and jumped towards Coby. "Hey! I'm Luffy. Where are we?"

Coby, unsure of what to do, replied awkwardly, “We’re on ‘Iron Mace Alvida’s’ island. I’m Coby.”

“Okay, not important.”

Coby blinked. _Huh?_ He quietly listened to the other teen, Luffy, talk about how he got there. He spoke casually yet confidently. A small part inside Coby wished he could be like this person. Then, Luffy grinned widely, "I'm gonna become the Pirate King!"

If Coby could see the eyes hidden beneath the shades, he was certain that they would be sparkling with excitement. Coby couldn't help but open his mouth in denial because, surely, such a dream couldn't come true… right? "That's impossible," he sputtered. "People _die_ trying to find the One Piece!"

All he got in response was a fist to his head and a large scowl.

"What was that for?!"

"I thought you were a good guy because you have a little bit of white and red in you. But you have this really ugly yellow, and that's because you're a coward! Stuuupiddddd.” Luffy replied. “I’m not afraid of dying! It’s my dream, and that’s why I don’t mind dying for it.”

Coby couldn’t help but stare at the teenager - _man_ \- before him. He stuttered out his dream from his childhood, “Will I also… Can I accomplish my dream? Will I be able… to become a marine?”

“I dunno.”

“Th-then, I’ll become a marine! I’d rather die trying to get out of here and join the marines. I’ll- I’ll be able to arrest people like Alvida!”

Luffy grinned and suddenly grabbed onto Coby. The younger struggled for a brief moment before he froze as soon as he heard Alvida's shout. Terror momentarily took over his body, but not even five minutes later, Coby watched Luffy quickly defeat the female pirate. And so, the pink-haired boy decided to follow this teenage pirate, curious about the journey and where they would go.

* * *

After the whole debacle of Shells Town, Coby found himself working for the marines thanks to Luffy. Only a month or two later, Coby found himself on Vice Admiral Garp's ship. He was in awe of the marine hero, and his presence reminded him of Luffy.

"I heard you got here thanks to Luffy, huh?" Garp casually said while picking his nose.

"Eh?!" Coby replied, panicked. How did the Marine Hero know?!

"You must be a good guy if he let you sail with him, even if it was only for a few days," Garp continued. "The boy might not have eyes anymore, but he's still a great judge of character."

Coby hesitated, "Garp-san, do you know Luffy-san?"

"Bahahahaha, of course I do! He's my grandson!"

Then the other words began to register in Coby's mind, "Garp-san, what do you mean he 'might not have eyes'?"

"Hmm? He didn't tell you? Luffy is blind."

The pink-haired boy blinked twice. Helmeppo who was also beside him choked on his drink.

"EEHHHH??? LUFFY-SAN IS BLIND?!"

"THAT BRAT IS BLIND?!"

"He didn't tell you? Oops, forget I said that. Bwahahahahaha," Garp laughed loudly.

Coby stared blankly into space, processing the information. Luffy had walked around with such ease and confidence. Coby simply had no idea the pirate was actually blind. Thinking back though, there were a few clues such as how the other teen never looked at anyone in the eye (though the sunglasses did hide that fact), how he didn't even own a map despite sailing a ship, and well, simply not knowing how to navigate. Also the way he asked for the general direction of where a person was rather than what they looked like. Asking for the restaurant owner to bring out whatever was available rather than reading the menu (though that just might be a Luffy thing).

Everything made sense except… how did Luffy know where everything was? Did he have a special method to detect people? He turned to Garp, hoping to get an answer to his question, only to find the man happily snoozing. With a sigh, Coby took a mental note to ask the question later.


	7. Roronoa Zoro I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Maybe Zoro was the idiot for agreeing to become the first mate of a blind captain.

"I'm Luffy. Join my crew!"

Zoro looked down from the stake he was hanging on. A teen with a straw hat and sunglasses grinned at him. The swordsman scoffed, "Whatever."

"You're definitely gonna join!" The so-called pirate started to walk away.

"Oi," Zoro called out and glanced at the ground. "Can you pick that up for me?"

Luffy stood there silently, "Pick what up?"

"The rice ball the little girl came with?"

"Oh! Where is it?" The pirate knelt on the ground and started patting around.

Zoro growled, "Oi, are you blind or something? It's right in front of you!"

Luffy only hummed and sweeped the ground with his hands until he touched the dirtied rice balls, "Yeah, I am blind. How'd ya know?"

Zoro didn't get a chance to answer because Luffy walked away right after stuffing the rice ball into the swordsman's mouth. He shouted quickly, "Tell the little girl the rice ball was good."

"Shishishi, okay!"

It was only a few minutes later when Zoro wondered if this Luffy person would be able to identify the little girl that brought him food.

* * *

Zoro's captain was… strange. There wasn't really any other word he could use to describe Luffy. After all, what sane and normal person set sail when they were blind?

Maybe Zoro was the idiot for agreeing to become the first mate of a blind captain. _Oh, well. Too late for regrets_. Honestly, he wasn't sure what exactly a first mate did, so Zoro just tagged along and followed this strange captain of his. It didn't really matter what Luffy would do as long as it didn't interfere with his own dream and promise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One of the shorter chapters, but we're starting to get to the Straw Hats! I'm trying to keep the same parts as short as possible because, let's be real, no one wants to read what they've already read/watched in the manga/anime.
> 
> Anyway, as noted here, most crew interactions will be re-writes of canon to fit in their reaction to when they find out Luffy is blind. :)


	8. Buggy I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Fucking **Monkey** Ds._ (aka Buggy is not happy.)

Of all the bloody things that Buggy expected to face in his little town in East Blue, it was definitely not a teenage boy with a high level of Observation Haki. Not really sensitive like his own, but the boy had great control over his Observation Haki. And to make things worse, the teenager had Shanks' old straw hat! What the hell?!

Not only that, but the boy had _Color_ Observation Haki. A very rudimentary and basic color observation, but it was there. And with the way he fought? He could definitely see a few seconds into the future. Buggy needed a drink.

Worse still was that he was a _D_. "Monkey D. Luffy," the boy with a straw hat and sunglasses said. _Fucking Ds._ At least Buggy was skilled enough with his own Haki control to hide his true intentions and presence. He might not have a wide variety of Observation Haki skills like the young pirate he just met, but he was proud of the meticulous control he had with his haki. He could freely hide his haki signature while keeping his range of observation over the entire island. Although, Buggy didn't completely hide his signature - just made it weak - because otherwise, the kid would find some of his secrets. Buggy did _not_ want that. No, thank you. It would only bring him trouble.

After fighting for some time with the newbie pirate, Buggy also found that the kid was blind. _What the fuck?_ The kid was just as insane as Monkey D. Garp. _Fucking **Monkey** Ds. _ Buggy needed more than one drink. Maybe more than two.

* * *

That _menace_ was finally gone, and Buggy took the chance to call his former fellow cabin boy. "What the fuck, Shanks?! You gave Captain's old hat to a blind brat?!"

The redhead had the audacity to laugh through the Den Den Mushi.

"And did you teach him Observation Haki?! To a kid in the backwaters of East Blue?!" Buggy was fuming. He needed answers. And at least five shots of whiskey.

Shanks finally stopped cackling, but his grin was still evident through the transponder snail. "To be fair, Anchor wasn't blind when I met him, and no, Charlotte Katakuri taught him Observation. Personally recruited by Garp apparently."

"Ah, shit." Buggy wanted to cry. How did fighting with a newbie pirate like Monkey D. Luffy suddenly involve him in two Yonko crews? Dealing with Shanks was more than enough, thank you very much.

"By the way, his brother got promoted to Ol' Newgate's second commander 'bout a year ago."

Oh, Buggy was actually about to cry now. The kid somehow had connections with three Yonko crews. "What's next," Buggy weakly asked, "He gonna be the illegitimate kid of Kaido or something?"

"Dahahaha," Shanks laughed loudly.

"You owe me like, ten drinks Shanks!" Buggy exclaimed. He was done with this shit. Despite his love for all his flashy bombs and appearances, there was a reason he decided to hide in East Blue, and it sure as hell wasn't to somehow get involved with a kid related to almost every single powerhouse on the ocean. Buggy sighed; he supposed it was time for him to return to the damnable Grand Line. The world was shifting, and he needed to help make his crew stronger if they wanted to last through the era. (Ah, if only they could hide and never appear, but the moment they met Monkey D. Luffy, Buggy knew their only choices were either to get stronger or enter Davy Jones' Locker.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved writing Buggy's POV. He's perfect for the classic confusion on whatever Luffy's family tree is. XD
> 
> Updates are starting to slow down. Truth be told, I wrote ch.1-15 and then skipped to ch.43... Oops? Anyway, I want my written chapters to be at least 10 chapters ahead from what I've posted, so this is finally up after I've finished ch.18. ~~Sanji was incredibly hard to write and idk why.~~
> 
> Also, the next update will have 3 chapters to cover Gecko Island. I just needed some parts with Luffy's POV as well as a battle scene to cover how it differs from canon. :) Let's hope Nami (ch.19) and Crocus (ch.21) are easier to write!! ~~Smoker (ch.20) was finished before I finished Sanji's chapter.~~


	9. Gecko Island I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters up!

Luffy hummed while Nami moved their ship to shore. He could feel four presences ahead, one of which was oddly familiar. Something he hadn’t felt before yet also someone he had met before. A friend, or something similar. The air on the island was obviously one belonging to the waters of East Blue, and it reminded him of the pirates he had met before he had lost his sight. Well, minus the fact the color he felt from the largest of the people before him was a bright yellow of cowardice.

Mixed within it all, however, were orange and red subtly peeking out. A desire for bravery, Luffy decided. To sail the seas and achieve the greatest dream. _A brave warrior of the sea_. He smiled at the thought.

“I just noticed,” Zoro spoke up, “What are those guys doing there?”

Luffy grinned. He supposed those four weren’t hiding very well. The three smaller presences ran away while the _brave warrior_ shouted in panic. This person was funny. Luffy liked him already.

“I am the great pirate fellet leader, Usopp, who is in charge of the security of this village! I’m also known as Captain Usopp!”

Luffy furrowed his brows, hearing the familiar name. Now, where had he heard this name before? Luffy is certain someone told him about a boy named Usopp? Hmm.

“It’s best if you don’t try to attack this village because my 80 million men are not going to forgive you!”

Nami seemed to have taken an annoyed color and simply said, “You’re lying, right?”

“Waa! I’ve been caught!”

Luffy openly grinned, “Hahaha, you’re so funny!” The young captain continued to smile as he and his two crew members followed Usopp to the town for food. Luffy decided he _really_ liked this Usopp guy. After all, he brought them to all this delicious food! Luffy simply ate the food given to him while he felt Usopp’s fondness as well as empathy for the girl living in the mansion in the village. Again, the way this fondness was expressed was strikingly familiar to someone… Hmm, Luffy still couldn’t quite place where he felt this before. Luffy frowned but decided to toss the thought aside. He could figure it out later!

* * *

Luffy grimaced as he approached the mansion on the hill. He could feel quite a few people inside, mostly people who were obviously regular civilians. He could feel Usopp’s hesitation and joy while speaking to someone whose presence was clearly growing weaker by the day.

And then there was that one ugly, dark feeling. Luffy hadn’t felt it often back on Dawn, but it was similar to that Axe dude he fought. It was a bad feeling. Luffy didn’t like it. Not one bit.

The feeling was confirmed when that bad man started insulting Usopp and his family. If there was one thing Luffy hated the most, it was someone insulting family. Still, this guy helped Luffy remember who Usopp reminded him of. Luffy hummed. After helping the kids shout at the bad idiot man, he started searching for Usopp. It was a simple matter. Luffy had been able to extend his Observation Haki across Mt Colubo, so all he had to do was search for Usopp’s presence on this island.

Now, the problem was how to approach Usopp. Hmm, well, Luffy would just go up to him just like how he had with Ace! So he popped up right around Usopp. He wanted to be in front of Usopp, but he couldn’t be certain about his relative position to the other teenager. With the way Usopp backed away instead of turning around, it seemed Luffy got the right spot though!

“Your dad… is Yasopp, right?” Luffy tilted his head, causing his sunglasses to slip lower on his nose.

“How’d you know that?!”

Luffy grinned at the expected answer. He pushed his sunglasses back into place. (Ace told him it was important to keep them on at all times.) “I’ve known him since I was a kid! You’ve got the same feeling as Yasopp. You’ve got blood belonging to a brave warrior of the sea,” Luffy replied as he tried to recall what he could about the pirate he met several years ago. He could barely remember what Yasopp looked like. Hell, he had a hard time remembering what _anyone_ looked like. He just remembered Ace had freckles. Sabo had blonde hair, a missing tooth, and a blue hat. Makino had a nice smile. And Shanks’s head was really red!

Even so, Luffy could recall the feeling he had when he first met the Red-Haired Pirates. Luffy might not know the exact feeling of the men who shaped his early life, but what he could remember was enough for him to relate it back to Usopp. Luffy was certain Usopp was the same as his father; the sea called for his presence. Luffy laughed at the memory, “Yasopp was a really popular pirate!”

“Is that really true?” Usopp’s color started lightening up. Luffy sat on the grass as he listened to Usopp speak proudly, “To tell you the truth, even though he left me for the sea, I’m always proud of my dad. But that bastard Klahadore looked down on him. He looked down on my pride!”

“Yup! I don’t like him at all!” Luffy frowned. “He has a bad feeling coming from him. Especially right now!” He pointed somewhere in the direction of the sea. There was another person there whose color was more gray than anything else.

Both teens sat atop the cliff and listened as Klahadore and the stranger spoke. Usopp peered over the edge while Luffy continued to sit and merely tilted his head to hear their conversation better.

“So, are you all prepared?”

“Of course! We can start operation ‘assassinate ojou-sama’ any time!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luffy's POV!!! I needed this chapter to explain how Luffy recognized Usopp as Yasopp's son. Hopefully it works?


	10. Klahadore (Kuro)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klahadore didn’t understand what was going on. The boy dodged all of his attacks as if he could see the future.

Klahadore didn’t understand what was going on. He was confident his speed was superior to this child, but the boy dodged all of his attacks as if he could see the future. The former pirate stared at the boy with the straw hat and sunglasses. Those damned glasses. Klahadore hated them. It covered the teen’s eyes and made it harder for him to get a grasp of the boy’s composure.

“Damned Straw Hat,” Klahadore cursed as he finally found an opening to kick the boy. The hat fell, but the sunglasses remained undamaged on the boy’s face. He stared forward in irritation as his former crew started calling him by the name he had abandoned. Klahadore angrily shouted, “Stop calling me that! I’ve killed that name already. I’ve spent three years to complete my plan.” He leaped towards the kid as he spoke, “I can’t let you disrupt my plans!”

Klahadore watched again as the boy blocked his claws with a block of stone as if he already knew he would attack. His claws snapped, and the butler was pulled forward, losing his balance. The rock being carried by the kid was then smashed down on to his head. Klahadore couldn’t hear what the brat said while his head was ringing.

The former pirate growled as he stood back up. Those people were still calling him captain. They were too fucking noisy. “Shut up! All of you will die after this. I never intended on letting any of you leave the village.” Klahadore felt deeply satisfied and laughed at their naive reactions. Of course they would die. Anyone who knew his plans was a risk to exposing his identity. In any case, they were all simply pawns to him.

He returned his attention to the kid he was fighting and found that he had the gall to smirk at him, “Even though you’re the captain of a ship who controls hundreds of men, you still can’t defeat Usopp!”

Kuro sneered, “Me? Inferior to that ‘captain’ in a kid’s pirate game?”

“That’s right.”

Klahadore moved behind the kid, but again, his move seemed to have been predicted already. “Ugh,” he grunted as he received a swing of the kid’s fist to his face. He took a deep breath and decided he would use his ultimate attack. It was all a means to an end after all. As long as everyone died, the Klahadore’s plan would be a success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~I'm not good at writing battle scenes.~~


	11. Gecko Island II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaha-guy had that ugly color and feeling that Luffy never liked.

Luffy sensed the pain of the people around him as the evil butler started attacking his own crew. He had known that Klaha-guy wasn’t good. He had that ugly color and feeling that Luffy never liked. He had similar feelings when he faced Sabo’s father as well as Bluejam. Back then, it wasn’t as pronounced because he didn’t have haki, but after learning from Big Brother Kuri, Luffy understood why he didn’t like those men. It was the same now.

Luffy shouted angrily, “Just what do you think your crewmates are?” He took a deep breath and tried to sense the evil butler again with his haki. The man was fast. Faster than most people Luffy had previously met, but he could still predict where Klaha-guy would go. It would have been easier if his future sight could read as far as Big Brother Kuri, but it was enough for now.

_ Behind. _ Luffy reached behind him and grabbed on to Klaha-guy’s shirt as soon as he appeared in that spot. He threw the butler to the ground and spoke firmly, “I will never, ever be a pirate like you.” Luffy reached out to grab at Klaha-guy to keep him in place. He didn’t need to hear the butler’s answer. After all, he already heard everything with his Observation Haki. “Die? I won’t die here,” Luffy grinned.

“Gomu Gomu no Bell!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters and we'll be done with Gecko Island!!


	12. Nami I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nami learns a little bit more about Luffy.

“You,” Nami hesitated. “Why did you get mad earlier?” She held Luffy’s straw hat in her right hand and the bag of looted goods in her left. She patiently waited for his answer.

“I don’t like them. They’re wrong!”

“What are you talking about? They’re pirates,” Nami scoffed. She really couldn’t understand what Luffy was thinking. He was brainless and just charged straight ahead.

“I want meat.”

Nami huffed. She figured that was Luffy’s default answer when he didn’t want to answer something. Well, she had something else she wanted to ask anyway. “When you were fighting Klahadore. It was like you already knew where he was going to step. How did you do that? You were like that when you fought with Buggy too.”

“Shishishi,” Luffy laughed. “I used a super cool mystery power!”

“What?”

“Big Brother Kuri taught me after I couldn’t see anymore,” Luffy smiled as he reached for his hat.

Nami blinked as she watched the young boy seemingly reach around blindly for his hat. She was holding it right in front of him. Surely he could see that? It took another few seconds before she partially understood what Luffy just said, “Wait. What do you mean you couldn’t see anymore?”

“I lost my sight when I was eight!” Luffy cheerfully replied. His fingers brushed over the cloth carrying her treasure. “It was really scary, but Gramps brought Big Brother Kuri who taught me how to sense my surroundings. He said when I train my haki enough, I can see into the future for a little bit.”

Nami needed the young pirate captain to slow down because, really, what did she just hear? “Haki? No, wait, stop. You’re blind?”

“Yep!” He finally managed to brush his hand on his hat, which he grabbed and immediately placed back onto his head.

The navigator gaped for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

“Oh, and Nami,” Luffy smiled and reached out to pat her head, “You’re sad and lonely, but it’s okay because you have us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to upload this with Kaya's chapter today, but Kaya's chapter will be posted tomorrow instead bc Chopper's chapter (ch.23) is getting longer than I expected. *^*
> 
> And before I forget:
> 
> Future vision for Luffy is different from Katakuri's because Katakuri can see people's physical appearance. Luffy's future sight is more of a mix of Color Observation Haki and Future Sight. He "sees" the figures approaching and also normally "hears" in his future sight.
> 
> Inanimate objects like his sunglasses and straw hat are harder to differentiate, but he can still sense their general shape which is why Luffy is able to dodge weapons and avoid buildings. In case it wasn't clear for this chapter, Luffy was able to sense the shape/blob of his hat, but it was getting mixed with the shape of Nami's treasure which is why he had some difficulty getting it back from Nami.


	13. Kaya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Kaya was worried, she figured everything would be okay.

After Usopp and his friends left, Kaya spoke with Merry a little bit. It was then that she found out that Luffy was blind. Nami had told Merry when they were discussing how to navigate with the caravel. Learning this little bit of Luffy was surprising because he walked and talked like any other person she had met.

Kaya wasn't sure if Usopp knew, but surely, he would find out soon. While she was worried, she figured everything would be okay. She couldn’t (and wouldn’t) stop Usopp from chasing his dreams. Even though Luffy was blind, he had miraculously defeated Klaha- Kuro. Surely, Usopp would be alright with these new friends of his. In any case, it wasn’t like Kaya had an actual choice in the matter. It was Usopp's choice to follow the man after all. She trusted Usopp to follow the path meant for him.

With renewed motivation, Kaya decided that she would also follow her dreams. She would become a skilled doctor and welcome the Straw Hat crew with open arms when they returned.

If the blind Luffy could set sail to pursue his dreams to be Pirate King, then she could learn to be a doctor in her small village.

If the cowardly Usopp could take the first step to become a brave warrior of the seas, then she would take the first step to find where she could learn medical practices.

Kaya would fret and worry over every single new scar that was visible in the papers, but she knew they would be okay. As for her, she could only stay to keep Syrup Village safe and healthy. She would stay to ensure there would be a home for Usopp to return to and his nakama to visit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, the lovely miss Kaya. <3 This is mostly a filler chapter simply because I wanted to write in Kaya’s POV. It’s not really relevant or important to the overall story, but I hope you enjoyed. :)


	14. Usopp I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You can't see?
> 
> "That's right!"
> 
> "Like, can't see as in you're… I dunno, blind?"
> 
> "Uh-huh."

_Going Merry_ was a lovely ship. Usopp absolutely adored it. He spent most of his time indoors, exploring the small spaces underdeck. One of his favorite activities while on the ship was checking and maintaining the armaments which was a total of four cannons. It wasn’t much, but still more compared to what Usopp had to work with when he was at Syrup Village.

Then, one morning, he came out on deck and found one of the cannons sitting harmlessly while facing starboard. It was odd, but the moment he saw Luffy standing next to it, he realized it was probably for some test shooting. Usopp sighed when he saw the teen hopelessly shoot into the ocean.

The sniper grinned because now he could show just how amazing he was! He approached the straw hat wearing teen and proclaimed, "Let the great Captain Usopp show you how it's done!"

Luffy merely cheered, “Cool!”

"You see that rock over there?"

"Nope."

"That's the rock I'm gonna hit!" Usopp paused, "Wait, what do you mean you can't see that rock?"

Usopp watched Luffy tilt his head like _Usopp_ was being weird. The teenager simply shrugged, "I can't see anything."

"You can't see?

"That's right!"

"Like, can't see as in you're… I dunno, blind?"

"Uh-huh."

"Oh, okay. Wait, no, you're _blind_?!"

“Shishishi, yep!”

Usopp waved his hands in confusion. "B-but, you walk around so…" He tried to find the words and ended up plainly saying, "So _normally_." Usopp couldn’t understand what Luffy was saying. It didn’t make sense. If Luffy was blind, how did he defeat Kuro? How did he walk around? How did he know where everyone was?

"Oh, I learned a mystery power that let me see stuff without my eyes."

The sniper bit his lips as he recalled all his previous interactions with Luffy.

_Luffy never looked him in the eye, but Usopp simply excused it to the fact he always had sunglasses on._

_“You’ve got the same feeling as Yasopp. You’ve got blood belonging to a brave warrior of the sea.”_

Usopp hadn’t understood what Luffy really meant except that he also had pirate’s blood running through his veins. The description was confusing too because why would he compare his overall feeling and vibe? Why didn’t Luffy just say that he looked like his father? Suddenly, it all made sense. If Luffy had that mystery power that let him see stuff without his eyes, then didn’t that mean the way he perceived the world was different? If that was the case, then it made sense for Luffy to describe his father the way he did. It made sense for Luffy to describe people based on how they feel to him rather than their appearance. (At the same time, Usopp wasn’t sure if Luffy would be able to describe the way someone looked even if he could see.)

Usopp was pulled from his thoughts when Luffy shouted, “Zoro! Nami! I think there are some people at that rock!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, the next update will probably be in 3-5 days now because I've been getting a really bad headache these days. :( I'm also busy this week because of exams that needed to be rescheduled.
> 
> Anyway, I’m not going to write about Yosaku and Johnny. There isn’t much I want to add about them. The next chapter will be at Baratie, so look forward to seeing our favorite chef(s)!! :)


	15. Zeff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zeff wasn't one to make assumptions, but he noticed things sometimes. He was a veteran of the Grand Line after all.

Zeff could not tell if the boy who had basically destroyed a part of his restaurant was simply a naturally clumsy person. He had already destroyed countless plates in the kitchen, stolen some food, botched the customer's orders, and even gave out the wrong dishes. The boy was basically every restaurant's nightmare.

Well, at least the kid hadn't freaked out over his missing leg. Didn't even look at it which was a… new reaction for a first meeting. Although, even if he did glance at his missing leg, Zeff wouldn't have been able to tell because of the damn sunglasses.

And speaking of sunglasses, maybe the kid would have worked better if he had taken them off while walking around inside of the restaurant. It would have also made him look less like someone on vacation and more like a waiter. But the kid had refused to take it off. Said something about how his brother told him to keep it on at all times to protect his eyes from the sun. _Maybe he was blind_ , Zeff mused. Well, the brat was old enough to set sail, so he was probably capable of taking care of himself. Zeff himself recalled fighting a few partially blinded opponents. ~~He refused to remember the ones who mocked him by fighting him with their eyes closed.~~

Well, it didn't matter if the stubborn brat kept his glasses on or not, Zeff figured and simply kicked the boy back to the kitchen, "Just work to pay off your debt."

"Okay!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was way shorter than expected, but I'll have another chapter up tonight!


	16. Dracule Mihawk I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dracule Mihawk’s strengths did not lie in Observation Haki, but he had honed his senses enough to recognize when someone else watched him with Haki.

Dracule Mihawk’s strengths did not lie in Observation Haki, but he had honed his senses enough to recognize when someone else watched him with Haki. That certainly wasn’t what he was expecting to feel in East Blue as he approached the galleon which had previously disturbed his nap.

_How curious_ , Mihawk thought as he easily deflected the bullets meant to kill him. Well, no matter, the one who sensed him held no malice towards him. Rather, he was more curious about the green-haired boy he stood before him with determination. “What do you aim for?”

“To be the strongest,” the boy grinned. “You said you’re free, right? So let’s have a duel.”

“Pitiful,” Mihawk sighed. “If you’re a competent swordsman by any means, then I can demonstrate the difference in our strengths without crossing blades. Yet you still dare to challenge me? Where does your bravery come from? Your conviction? Or ignorance?” The strongest swordsman looked down in disdain.

“It comes from my ambition,” his opponent responded, “and a promise to a friend.”

The answer certainly wasn’t what he was expecting, but it was a good answer. Mihawk liked the answer, so he would give this boy some respect by using _Kogatana_. _Kogatana_ might be his smallest sword, but at the very least, he was using a blade. Still, against someone so young, it was a shame Mihawk didn’t have a smaller blade.

* * *

Mihawk’s expression remained still, but his heart leaped with excitement. He hadn’t expected to meet such a swordsman in East Blue. “Tell me your name,” Mihawk said simply.

“Roronoa Zoro.”

_Roronoa Zoro_. Mihawk pulled _Yoru_ from his back. “I shall remember it. To pay respect to you as a fellow swordsman, I shall end this duel with _Yoru_ , the world’s strongest sword.” He exchanged sword blows with this boy, Roronoa Zoro, one final time, breaking two of his swords in the process. He turned around to place the last slash and watched as Roronoa turned around, exposing his torso openly.

“A wound on one’s back is the shame of a swordsman.”

Mihawk grinned. This was certainly much more fun than killing time by chasing a broken band of pirates. “Splendid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really related to blind!Luffy except at the beginning. I just really wanted to write Mihawk vs Zoro in Mihawk’s POV. <3


	17. Interlude: Dracule Mihawk and Monkey D. Luffy

“Zoro!” Luffy shouted. He could still feel Zoro’s presence even through the ocean. It was weak, but still there. He would live. _He would live._ Still, that didn’t mean Luffy wasn’t angry. He moved to attack Mihawk but stopped as his future sight showed he would simply crash into the drowning galleon. Instead, Luffy settled for glaring at the swordsman. Though, if Luffy really thought about it, his glare likely wasn’t seen by the swordsman. Still, Luffy was certain he was able to convey his ire.

* * *

Mihawk glanced up and found a familiar straw hat atop a boy wearing sunglasses. If he recalled correctly, this was the boy Red-Haired spoke of nearly a decade ago. It was likely the same boy he spoke of eight years ago.

_Monkey D. Luffy._ A boy with big ambitions but lost his sight to the cruelty of the world. This boy was likely the one who sensed him through Haki earlier. Regardless, he unexpectedly encountered something interesting on this trip to East Blue. It seemed his future adversary was friends with the boy Red-Haired made a bet on all those years ago. _Fitting_ , Mihawk turned away towards Roronoa who had been pulled up by his comrades.

“I am Dracule Mihawk. It is far too early for you to die. Become strong, Roronoa. I shall wait for you at the top of the world. Forge on ahead and try to surpass my sword. Surpass me, Roronoa!”

After speaking for so long with the green-haired swordsman, Mihawk returned his attention to the boy Shanks spoke of so fondly. “Boy, what do you aim for?”

“Pirate King!”

Mihawk smirked. The boy was just as Shanks described. “A tough path. Even tougher than surpassing myself.”

“Bah!” Luffy harrumphed. “I’m going to do what I want.”

* * *

Mihawk chuckled to himself after watching Roronoa Zoro and Monkey D. Luffy exchange vows. How delightful. He truly didn’t waste any time by coming to the weakest blues. “You make a good team,” he said plainly as he sailed away. “I’d like to see you two again some time in the future.”

_And I’ll likely have to speak to Red-Haired Shanks about the boy he made a bet on._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mihawk + Luffy interaction! They're like an awkward uncle and rebellious nephew. >◡<
> 
> Next chapter is Sanji!


	18. Sanji I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some timeline notes:  
> It starts a little before Mihawk comes in. Then it skips to around the time Sanji fights Gin. After that, it's post-battle and they're hanging out on Baratie. Enjoy! <3

Sanji wasn’t sure how he ended up getting this annoying tail as he walked around to serve the food. All he had done was provide food for a starving man, and now this Straw Hat kid was following him and telling him to be a cook on his pirate ship. The blonde had already told the kid he wouldn’t be leaving. After all, who else would help protect that old man’s treasure? Sanji owed at least that much to the head chef of Baratie.

* * *

Sanji struggled to understand the fury the errand boy was expressing. How could the boy claim that his method to repay his debt was stupid? How else was he supposed to return the life debt he owed to the old geezer? Staying here to protect the restaurant with his life. That was what he should do, right?

“You’re an idiot,” the errand boy huffed and used his left hand, the one that wasn’t holding on to Sanji’s collar, to take off his sunglasses.

Sanji blinked as he stared at the silver eyes which couldn’t seem to find his own eyes. And yet, it felt as though the eyes were staring straight through his soul.

“The old man didn’t save your life so you could die here.”

_What?_

“You won’t repay your debt by dying!”

_But-_

“Even _I_ can see that!”

“I-”

“And I don’t have the eyes to see that, you bastard!”

“H-”

“You’re going to _live_ to fulfil the dream you and that old man share!”

* * *

Sanji couldn't understand how the errand boy - Luffy, his name was Luffy - could so passionately claim his dreams with no hesitation. It was a dream that people would often laugh at much like his own dream. And yet, this boy, probably a few years younger than himself, shouted his dreams to the world with so much energy and conviction. It was… inspiring, and Sanji wondered if he could be like that one day.

Actually, Sanji knew he could. He just needed to take a step forward and accept Luffy's offer to be his crew's chef. It was simple. But no, he owed the old geezer too much.

(The younger part of Sanji, the part that never really disappeared, whispered quietly that it was best if he didn't follow. It was best if he remained with the man he considered his real father because he would only become a burden for Luffy and his crew.)

* * *

Sanji sat outside beside the door and listened as his fellow chefs spoke to the Straw Hat captain. The old geezer himself asked, “Would you mind… taking that lil’ eggplant with you?” The blonde chef froze. “Take him to the Grand Line. It’s his dream.”

He couldn’t see their grins, but he could hear them all cheerfully shouting to drink more of his soup.

Sanji buried his head into his arms and knees. “Bastards,” he mumbled. “I can still hear you all.”

* * *

Sanji laughed to himself. At himself. He thought back to the words Luffy had said and finally spoke up, “I’ll go. Take me with you.”

“What?”

“I’ll follow you in your journey to become the Pirate King. We both have crazy dreams, so I’ll tag along to fulfil mine,” he casually said. “I’ll be the cook for your ship.” Despite his casual agreement, Sanji’s head worried if Luffy’s offer would be taken away. Surely, he wouldn’t want someone who already rejected him?

Luffy’s sudden shout pulled him from such thoughts, “Sounds great!”

* * *

They were leaving. Sanji was leaving this place. The first place he ever considered his actual home. Sanji teared up and readily cried as he bade farewell to the chefs of Baratie. “Let’s meet again one day! You good for nothing bastards!”

They finally set sail, away from Baratie and Sanji wiped his face to rid them of tears. Beside him, Luffy grinned, “They’re good guys. You are too, Sanji.”

“Hmph,” Sanji puffed out a smoke, pretending he hadn’t cried just minutes ago. “So you’re blind?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. Any allergies?”


	19. Nami II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nami finally finds it in herself to ask for help from Luffy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somewhat liberal use of strikethroughs and italics in this chapter. I hope y’all don’t mind. Anyway, enjoy! :)

Nami wasn’t sure if this was what she wanted to do. She had resolved herself to only take money to save her village, but she wasn’t sure if leaving, _abandoning_ , someone like Luffy was the right thing to do. ~~She wasn’t sure if Bellmere would approve of leaving someone like Luffy behind.~~

_“You’re sad and lonely, but it’s okay because you have us.”_

The navigator recalled the words Luffy said after his fight with Kuro on Gecko Island. No one had said that to her before. Nami had always been alone. ~~Nami had always pushed people away.~~ And yet, here was a boy who smiled like the sun. A boy who smiled like the world hadn’t wronged him by making him lose his eyesight. Here was a boy, an entire year younger than herself, who told her that _she wasn’t alone._

Nami bit her lips as tears began forming in her eyes. She should be used to this by now. Luffy was a pirate. ~~Luffy was someone who cared.~~ It didn’t matter anymore though. She left. She abandoned them. She was alone again, and she would finally save her village from the tyrant of her childhood.

* * *

Luffy was here.

_Luffy was here._

Nami didn’t understand why. She told him to leave already. This was her home. This was her responsibility. Why didn’t he just leave? Why didn’t he just listen to her? He shouldn’t be involved with her problem. It was none of his business.

_Luffy would never listen to her anger._

“Luffy…” Nami gripped her hands at the dirt of her hometown as tears poured from her eyes. She didn’t deserve to ask this of him. Still, she turned her tear-stricken face and pleaded, “Help me….”

She felt Luffy place his treasured hat atop her head and watched as he took a deep breath.

“Of course I will!” Luffy’s shout echoed, and it felt like the world could hear his every word.

_Luffy would always listen to her sorrows._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t decide how different I wanted this from canon, but I decided to just keep it as is for the most part. I guess the biggest difference is Nami’s mindset and approach to Luffy?


	20. Loguetown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loguetown had a mysterious presence that Luffy didn't recognize. Someone (something?) spoke to him. Big Brother Kuri never told him something like this would happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you read my previous author’s note, you’d know this was supposed to be Smoker’s chapter, but as you can tell, this is not Smoker’s POV.
> 
> Back in chapter 12, [SooE](https://archiveofourown.org/users/S00E/) brought up a really interesting point about the Voice of All Things and the execution platform, so I decided to add this chapter to give more clarity to Luffy's Observation Haki.
> 
> Thank you SooE! This chapter wouldn’t have been written without your comment. <3

Luffy grinned as he listened to Nami read the newspaper. Apparently he had gotten himself a bounty! Wasn’t that great?! “How much does it say?” Luffy asked excitedly. He hoped it was higher than Ace’s starting bounty! Even if it wasn’t, it was okay though because Luffy would someday surpass Ace’s bounty. After all, he was going to become the Pirate King!

“30 million,” Nami lamented. “Your life is at risk now!”

Luffy merely shrugged while feeling her genuine worry. He was prepared to die the moment he set out. Having a bounty just meant he was known to the world.

“We can’t afford to stay around in East Blue anymore,” Nami sighed.

Of the people on _Going Merry_ , Luffy could feel that only Nami was worried. Zoro was calm and indifferent, while Sanji and Usopp were simply excited for the future ahead. Luffy laughed brightly. He was satisfied with this crew he found in East Blue. Their adventure was just starting.

* * *

The moment Luffy stepped on the island, he could feel a heavy presence coming from the center. It felt as though something - or someone - was speaking to him, but he couldn’t quite tell what. Well, not that it mattered. He would simply go to where the Pirate King spoke his last words, “I’m gonna go to the execution stand!”

Sanji replied that he would get some food and Usopp was going to get some stuff to build some other cool things! Zoro said he wanted a sword. It made sense. After all, ever since Zoro lost two of his swords to that Hawky guy, the one that was still intact felt kind of lonely. Luffy didn’t really understand, but Zoro said it was fine.

Luffy walked off while the rest did their thing. He followed the aura in the center of the town, avoiding as many people as he could in the crowded streets. He focused on his breathing to prevent himself from being overwhelmed by the sheer number of people around him. He finally arrived where he felt the all-encompassing haki seeping out from and listened to the people around him whisper how this was where the Pirate King had died. _The execution stand._

_“My treasure?”_

Luffy tilted his head. It felt as though he had heard something. He thought he had already blocked off the crowds’ whispers. No matter, Luffy simply wanted to touch the execution stand.

_“If you want it, I’ll grant it!”_

That voice was there again. It was getting louder as he approached the platform.

_“Search on!”_

Big Brother Kuri never said something like this would happen. It seemed as though the execution platform was speaking to him. Luffy climbed up the scaffold with ease. He stood at the top and felt as the air around him changed. It was odd. Luffy didn’t understand quite what was going on.

_“All the world had to offer…”_

Something started bearing down on him, and Luffy struggled to breathe. It was similar to haki but different. He tried stretching out his Observation Haki, but something was pressing down on it. It’d been years since he couldn’t feel or see a presence, and it should have been scary. Instead, it was as though he was taken to another place to experience something he couldn’t see. He heard the mysterious voice next to him again.

 _“...I left in_ **_that place_ ** _!”_

Luffy gasped as the pressure lifted and in place, something snapped down on his neck and shoulders. He no longer heard that mysterious voice and could feel the presence of the citizens gathered at the square. From a distance, he could feel his nakama. And right next to him was someone else. Someone familiar. Where had he felt this haki signature before?

“...a flashy execution!!!”

“Huh, this is the first time I’ve seen an execution.” Luffy mumbled as he relaxed in his restraints… Restraints? Why couldn’t he move?

The person beside him shouted, “You’re the one who’s being executed!!!”

“What?! Are you kidding me?!”

“No, _you_ stop kidding around!”

Luffy blinked. For some reason, it didn’t seem like this guy was being serious. And really, why was this guy so familiar? Well, Luffy supposed he could play along, “I’m sorry. Please let me live.”

“As if I’d just let you go, you idiot!!!”

 _Hmmmm_ , Luffy was pretty sure he heard that voice before too. He frowned as he continued to figure out where he felt this presence and heard this voice.

“Any last words?”

Luffy still couldn’t think of who this person was about to kill him (or pretend to kill maybe? Luffy still couldn’t feel any real ill will coming from the guy.) In the end, the young pirate settled on saying whatever might be his last words. He took a deep breath and shouted, “I’m the man who will become the Pirate King!!!!”

 _Hmmmm, maybe not that,_ Luffy thought. Well, he still had time. Zoro and Sanji were coming for him. Oh, this guy was about to chop his neck. Maybe he really would die. “Zoro, Sanji! Usopp, Nami! Sorry, looks like I’m dead,” Luffy grinned cheerfully. He had no regrets if everything ended here. It would simply mean he was too weak.

* * *

_Ahhh, how dangerous! Hat almost got burned. Good thing it’s raining_ , Luffy laughed, completely unfazed by whatever might have saved him from being killed. The strong haki coming from the execution stand had also disappeared, and Luffy lost his reference point. At least he could still sense his nakama! In any case, everything was fine now, “Looks like I survived! How lucky!”

Luffy strolled away toward Zoro and Sanji’s presence while humming cheerfully. Luffy felt some new auras from Zoro’s hips. The one that Luffy recognized seemed smug, while the sword with a darker presence felt as though it was grinning maniacally. The last one was quiet like Zoro’s old swords. Well, maybe not _quiet_ , but it didn’t give off any specific feeling like the other swords. _Weird._

“Surround the town square! Corner all the pirates!”

 _Oops, time to run._ Luffy grinned widely as he started running off to where he could feel Usopp and Nami’s haki signatures.

* * *

Zoro stopped and clashed swords with someone standing in front of them. Luffy could tell it was someone good, but that didn’t mean they were their ally. Well, Zoro could take care of it.

* * *

Someone else was in front of them again.

“Straw Hat Luffy.”

“Who are you?!”

“The name’s Smoker. I’m a captain from Marine HQ, and I won’t allow you to set sail from here!”

“Eh?!” Luffy’s haki saw the guy’s form change - similar to how Big Brother Kuri did when he became mochi - and then felt himself get caught in something that felt like a cloud. Sanji tried to attack him, but nothing happened. Luffy frowned and sent a rubber punch, only for it to go through the guy again. Luffy tripped, and the cloud guy landed on top of him, pushing his face to the ground, “Oof!”

“Hmph, looks like your luck has come to an end.”

Luffy sighed and didn’t bother struggling. Someone else was here, and this guy would help him escape. Luffy didn’t recognize the new person, but he kind of felt like Gramps. Gramps but with more freedom? Luffy liked how this guy felt!

A strong wind pushed everyone away, and Luffy held onto his hat tightly. Zoro was running towards him again, so Luffy just remained still to let the swordsman grab him while heading towards the ship. Luffy was still thinking about this mysterious man. He wanted to ask who the guy was and remember how the man felt so he could thank him one day.

“Hurry up! We need to set sail immediately,” Nami shouted. Apparently the storm was really bad.

Luffy sighed. He would think about the mysterious man later! Right now, he needed to get his crew away from Loguetown to head towards the Grand Line.


	21. Smoker I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _Something_ about Straw Hat Luffy bothered Smoker. He didn’t know what it was, but he needed to find out.

_ Something  _ about Straw Hat Luffy bothered Smoker. He didn’t know what it was, but he needed to find out. It had to have something to do with the sunglasses the pirate wore. And that stupid grin he had right before he was nearly executed. It was the weird way Straw Hat somehow  _ knew _ that things would work in a certain way.

Smoker thought that he had it figured out the moment he pinned the pirate under his jute, but he only became more confused when the most wanted man in the world distracted him. Cloak billowing in the rain, Dragon the Revolutionary stood above him with a…  _ maniacal _ grin. The marine captain wondered what the revolutionary was doing in Loguetown.

With the threat of the revolutionary before him, Smoker backed away and was forced to let Straw Hat leave the town. It was a failure the marine refused to accept, so he returned to base and told his subordinates that they would be leaving for the Grand Line. Smoker knew that the Grand Line was known as the Pirate's Graveyard and that Straw Hat's crew might not survive, but his guts told him otherwise. Straw Hat would surely bring up a storm, and Smoker was determined to be the one to catch him.


	22. Crocus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was that straw hat.

Crocus had experienced many things on the Grand Line. He traveled with Gol D. Roger after all. Roger was a crazy man with a crazy dream. The man had a death wish, but he still fulfilled his dreams of reaching the end of the Grand Line. Those years he spent with Roger were likely the most exciting time of his life.

Crocus had enough of all the excitement and adventures pirates had. He was satisfied with his place on Twin Cape, taking care of Laboon.  ~~ Part of it was guilt for leaving Laboon alone for a few years when he traveled with Roger, but Roger was an inspiration and Crocus didn’t have the will to refuse the charismatic man. ~~

In any case, much like in his earlier days before he met Roger, Crocus simply greeted the new, aspiring rookie pirates who happened to stop by his lighthouse. The only change was taking care of Laboon who now spent most of his time bashing his head against the Red Line.  ~~ Laboon started this when he returned from his journey with Roger. Crocus sometimes wondered if it was his fault that Laboon started hurting himself in hopes of meeting his lost friends. ~~

* * *

It was that straw hat.

Crocus recognized that straw hat.

Roger once wore that straw hat.

Shanks was given that straw hat.

Rayleigh called him a decade ago and said Shanks had given away that straw hat.

Crocus was told that a boy in East Blue now owned that straw hat.

It was that straw hat.

* * *

Crocus blinked and stretched his Observation Haki to measure these teenage pirates. The Straw Hat Pirates. Crocus couldn’t help but laugh because that hat, which was once the trademark of Roger, was now recognized as the symbol of an entirely different pirate crew a little more than twenty years later.

Crocus shuddered as he felt someone else’s haki gently meet his own. That wasn’t something he felt often at the beginning of the Grand Line. Few people in Paradise used haki. Even fewer people from the Blues had knowledge of haki, much less used it.

This certainly wasn’t what he expected when he woke today. Crocus shifted his line of sight and stared at where the other haki was coming from.

The boy with that straw hat watched him through his sunglasses.

Well, maybe not watch because Crocus couldn’t feel eyes staring at him like he would when other people watched him.

Curious. How curious. Monkey D. Luffy was his name. The boy was young - barely seventeen - and could use Observation Haki without actively focusing.

Crocus wanted to ask Luffy more about his situation. But at the same time, Crocus had sworn he was finished being a doctor for humans after failing to save Roger.  ~~ That wasn’t even his fault because Roger had a death wish, but Crocus knew if he was given just another year, he could have developed a cure for Roger’s disease with the help of a few other skilled doctors. ~~

In the end, Crocus merely watched as the Straw Hat Pirates befriended Laboon and left Twin Cape for the islands of the Grand Line.

It was okay. Crocus didn’t need his curiosity satiated. He had enough adventures with the Roger Pirates after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aka, Crocus has stagnated and gotten boring after spending twenty years at Twin Cape.


	23. Drum Island I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nami is sick, and Luffy needs to keep his nakama safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Skipping the cactus island and the island with giants. Quick summary for canon: Straw Hats meet Vivi and discover her identity. They decide to help her. They get to a historic island with dinosaurs. Beat up the bad people. Nami gets sick. Okay, now onto Drum Island!

Nami was growing weaker and weaker. Her presence was losing its shine. Luffy didn’t like that. He didn’t like it at all, but he had to keep his crew’s morale up. They couldn’t panic or everything would be all for naught. He just needed to be a little stupid. ~~Luffy panicked anyway, but it was fine because they had Vivi.~~

Luffy was grateful Vivi was here. She knew what to do. Luffy was glad there was at least one person who knew where to go while Nami was too weak to move. 

* * *

Luffy’s Observation Haki paid attention to his crew members’ untouched haki at all times.

Zoro was calm and confident, even when he was in the process of healing. Zoro was loyal and devoted to the people he respected, his swords, and his dreams. He was a deep blue. Not quite like the ocean nor the sky. Or at least, not like the ocean and sky in Luffy’s memories. It was like the blue on the blueberry pies Makino used to make. Well, that’s only if Luffy remembered the colors correctly. Luffy couldn’t be certain, so he deemed this blue to be Zoro’s blue.

Usopp’s haki was always full of yellow and cowardice. It wasn’t pleasant, honestly, but his haki always had the call of the sea. Of all the people Luffy met since setting sail, Usopp was the most similar to his own. A haki presence touched by the sea. A pirate’s haki. Yellow like the sun and blue like the sea. Usopp’s haki color seemed as though they clashed and constantly fought one another, but when Luffy watched Usopp’s color carefully, they were always at a delicate balance. It meant that Usopp, while still growing and learning about the world, knew what he wanted (to some extent).

Sanji. Sanji was like Ace. Filled with purple. Luffy recognized it as selflessness. (Even though they didn’t recognize it, Luffy saw it in them.) He had felt it when they were still at Baratie. Sanji was willing to sacrifice his own dreams for his debt to the old man. Luffy couldn’t understand that self-sacrificial nature even though he had experienced a similar debt. Regardless, Luffy had felt Sanji’s desire to chase after the dream everyone called hopeless. Luffy wanted to help bring out more of that deep mix of red and orange. Luffy wanted to feel more of Sanji’s desires and ambitions. Bringing him away from Baratie was the first step, and Luffy could already feel Sanji’s colors changing.

Finally, there was Nami. Luffy knew Nami had troubles the moment they met. And it was more than just dealing with Buggy troubles. Nami was fully capable of taking care of herself, but Luffy could tell she was lonely. She was strong and independent, but Luffy knew she wanted someone she could rely on. So Luffy was here to help her, as long as she was willing to ask. As long as she stayed on his crew, Luffy would support her, and he was certain all of his other nakama were willing to help Nami. Luffy hoped she would recognize it one day. And perhaps it was this day while she was sick and helpless.

Luffy smiled as he laid on the ground beside Usopp and Zoro. They had piled in the room where Nami was sleeping in the bed all to keep her company. (Sanji kept watch outside because he was too worried to sleep comfortably.) Luffy felt Nami move in his Observation and sensed as her sickly aura turned into a soft yellow of happiness. There was also a minute blue of peace. _Good._ Luffy smiled. Nami was starting to realize she could trust her safety to his crew.

* * *

Luffy knew it probably wasn’t the best for him to bring Nami up the mountains, but he was their captain and thus responsible for their health. (Zoro could have gone, but he didn’t really trust Vivi enough to stay on _Merry_ alone, which made sense because the last time he wasn’t on _Merry_ , Nami had taken her and left to save her home. Luffy trusted Vivi enough, but Luffy respected his first mate's decision.)

Luffy held Nami close to his back. He had to because her presence was weak. Luffy’s haki was able to sense many things, but it would be difficult for him to sense someone who was approaching death if they weren't close by. He tried not to think about that though. He had always been one to push forward and go straight towards his goal. This was no different. Luffy simply had to bring Nami up the mountain with Sanji leading the way.

Luffy hoped his haki would stay strong enough for the trek up the snowy mountains. He needed to protect Nami. Keep her safe. He had no choice in this. After all, Nami was nakama, and as captain - _as a pirate_ \- Luffy was responsible for making sure she could reach someone who might be able to save her.

* * *

Luffy dodged the attacks the stupid people who had attacked his ship, and now him, with ease. Observation Haki helped him avoid everything, but Luffy had to push down his instinct which told him to fight back. _Not now. Not now._ He couldn’t fight them now. Not with Nami on his back, and definitely not with Sanji in his arms.

The auras resembling what the townspeople called something-rabbits were back. Luffy readied himself to run away further - to protect his nakama - but his haki showed those white rabbit auras smacking down the dark stupid people. It was fine. Everything was fine.

“Thanks for helping!” Luffy shouted as he continued toward the mountain where he could feel two presences at the top. He would get there. Soon. He had to get there fast. Nami was getting weaker. Sanji was getting colder. Luffy needed to get there _now._

* * *

Luffy finally reached the top. After the close call of dropping Sanji, Luffy had finally arrived at the top of the mountain. He panted as he felt two kind auras approach - both were a light green. It was the color he often saw on Makino after he finally unlocked Color Observation Haki.

The cold was getting to Luffy, and his haki was starting to get spotty. He knew they were lucky because the larger figure barely managed to grab them when they fell at the edge of the cliff. Still, Luffy needed to make sure they saved Nami and Sanji.

Luffy could barely feel anything, but he turned in the direction of the two fuzzy presences. “S-save them,” he panted out weakly. “Th-they’re my,” Luffy needed to say this before the cold took over his consciousness, “they’re my _friends._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. Yellow is an odd color, and I had to figure out different ways to describe it because it represents both happiness and cowardice.
> 
> 2\. I hope I did Luffy’s POV justice!! I find Luffy to be an incredibly hard character to write because I’m never sure if I write him in character. I kinda feel like Luffy thinks more than he shows? He just thinks too fast for anyone (even himself) to understand I guess.


	24. Tony Tony Chopper I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chopper was a monster, but he was starting to learn monsters could be happy too.

Chopper heard the raven-haired boy wearing sunglasses who was practically frozen to death, begging them to heal his friends. Chopper had never met someone like that before. This was someone at death’s door begging them to save his friends. _Why?_

Chopper wondered if he could ask the boy why he was so determined to save his friends. Why did he prioritize their health over his when he was clearly dying from the cold?

Even though Chopper was curious, he knew he wouldn’t be able to ask. After all, they would just regard him as a monster and not answer his questions.

* * *

Chopper was going through the regular procedure of thawing a patient suffering from frostbite. Doctorine had taught him that early on in his medical career. As a reindeer, Chopper needed to learn and understand how to heal a human by watching and practicing on actual people. (He needed to understand that a human's health and reaction to the weather greatly differed from his own.) Drum Island was a winter island, so it was only natural that some of Chopper’s first patients were people suffering from frostbite.

In any case, Chopper took care of the black-haired boy, putting aside his sunglasses. Chopper didn’t know why he wore sunglasses, especially considering the snow outside, but the little reindeer figured it was probably just another human quirk.

Well, he thought that way until he looked at the teen’s eyes. Chopper hadn’t seen it in person before, but he remembered reading in a book how some people who lost their sight would end up with a silver-white eye color. This seemed to be the case. Chopper would have to ask Doctorine when she was finished with the female patient.

* * *

Chopper wasn’t sure how to react. The blonde teen who was injured stared at him in interest. It reminded him of the wolves who followed their prey. ~~The wolves who once tried to eat him before he met Doctor Hiruluk.~~

The other one, the younger one with a rounder face, merely blinked with his sightless eyes. He asked for his sunglasses which Chopper pointed towards, only to realize his mistake because the man was blind. He opened his mouth to say it was on the nightstand to his right, but before he could speak, the blind man reached for the approximate area he had pointed at and eventually managed to grab the sunglasses.

“Thanks!” He said with a grin as he placed the shades over his eyes. (Chopper realized it was likely to protect his eyes from the sun. It was a good practice for the blind man to have.) “I got this from my big brother. He’d get really mad if I lost it, shishishi. Anyway, I’m Luffy! Who are you?” His neck stretched towards him, and Chopper was starting to question his diagnosis of whether or not this black-haired boy - Luffy - was blind.

Chopper stared for a moment while he remained hidden behind the door. Then he screamed and ran away because there was no way a human could possibly stretch his neck so far. It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. Now the two male patients were chasing after him, especially after the blonde one told the stretchy one that he was a reindeer. Now both men had eyes glowing as if they were chasing their prey.

 _Scary,_ Chopper shuddered as he ran as fast as he could with his little legs.

* * *

Chopper gasped when he saw the two male patients head towards the door. They were going to close it. He couldn’t let them do that, “St-”

“Ah! Wait Sanji!” The one with the straw hat spoke. “Up there!”

Chopper blinked.

The blonde, Sanji, glanced up and opened his mouth in realization, “A snowbird nest.”

The reindeer bit his lips and peered over the edge of the stairs.

“Sanji, you said that guy we’re chasing was a reindeer right?”

“Yup.”

“Didn’t he talk to us?”

“That’s right. He also stands on two legs.”

“Monster!”

Chopper continued to hide and walked away. _Of course they’d say that._

* * *

Chopper blinked as he watched Luffy punch Wapol in the face. The reindeer wasn’t sure what was going on except for the fact that the guy was kind of clueless about the temperature. And he was a little slow. Also, his body stretched again. How? Chopper glanced at Sanji and decided to muster up the courage to ask, “Can I ask you something?”

“Huh?”

“That guy can stretch his body, right?”

“That’s right, he’s a rubber man.”

“He’s blind too.” That was a fact Chopper knew, but he still couldn’t understand how the raven-haired boy could move around with so much ease.

“Yep, but sometimes it feels like he can see better than us.”

“What do you mean?

The blonde grinned while he bit down on his cigarette, “It means he’s a monster.”

There was no malice in his expression. He said it as if he was simply stating a fact.

* * *

Wapol shot at it. Wapol shot at Doctor’s flag. Chopper pushed down the tears and grabbed Wapol. If it was this, Chopper could convince himself to become a monster.

“Why did you do that to Doctor’s pirate flag?!”

_“Don’t hate humans, Chopper. This country is sick.”_

_Why?_ Chopper hesitated as he readied his fist to punch the tyrant before him. _He’s not worthy enough for your help._ Still, Chopper remembered Doctor’s teachings, and instead of bringing down his fist, he shouted, “I will not hurt you! So get out of this country!”

Chopper knew it was stupid, but he couldn’t bring himself to hurt the person in front of him. He couldn’t resolve himself to punch the man shooting at the flag that held so much significance to Doctor. His naivety resulted in him getting shot by the tyrant, and Chopper could only lay on the ground while tearing up.

“Hey, you babbling mouth!”

Chopper blinked as he stared at the blind man who had somehow climbed to the top of the castle. He held Doctor’s flag with honor despite not knowing what it looked like.

“You’re just a bunch of frauds! You became pirates without preparing to risk your lives. You will _never_ understand the meaning behind this flag!”

Chopper stared in awe at Luffy who stood tall at the top of the castle. Except Wapol was using the cannon again, and the man refused to move.

“I won’t let you destroy this flag! This pirate flag,” the bomb landed directly on him, “is a symbol of faith!”

The reindeer watched as the smoke cleared and saw the man still standing proudly while holding Doctor’s flag.

“This flag will never be broken!”

_This is a real pirate._

_“Pirates. There are many pirates out there. One day, you’ll have to find a chance to go out.”_

_He’s so great._

“Reindeer man! Whatcha gonna do now?” The pirate grinned cheerily, as if he hadn’t just gotten burned by a cannonball.

Chopper opened his mouth in wonder and finally resolved himself to truly fight. Not to attack, but to protect what he held dear to his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Chopper.
> 
> Also, two more chapters and we'll be moving on to Alabasta!

**Author's Note:**

> So fair warning. I have random chapters/arcs written for this fic. As a result, some updates might be really fast while others will take a while.


End file.
